Daddy has been away at sea for a week, and BOY, do we miss him! I normally go to the gym in the morning before the girls get up, and I can't do that when Ryan is gone. Or I suppose I could... they are sleeping after all, but I think leaving kids home alone is generally frowned upon. So, I don't workout when Ryan is gone, which makes me cranky. I always TRY, I go for runs and do stuff here and there, but I am spoiled by the gym and nothing else really does it for me. But I do still need to get up and take the dog out and drink coffee before the chaos ensues each day. Ellis wakes up first. She is always a cheerful baby in the morning. Actually, she is always cheerful all day unless she is hungry or tired or stuck (more on getting stuck in a bit). Then Leyton gets up. She is less cheery in the morning. But after some snuggles and letting her watch a show on the kindle while she goes potty, she usually cheers up and we start our day.
Leyton is now 95% potty trained. She wears panties all day, even when we leave the house. She only wears a diaper for nap and bedtime, although those are usually still dry when she wakes up. She has got #1 down pat, no problems. #2 is another story. Half the time she poops in the potty, and half the time somewhere else (like her diaper, panties, or the BATHTUB!) Now I am trying to get her off the rewards that she is used to getting after every potty. I've got her down to one M&M instead of two, and often I can distract her so she forgets.
The big girl bed is going great. Leyton still really likes it. She has only gotten out once for a nap a couple of days ago, otherwise she stays in there until we come in and tell her she can get out. This AMAZES me. She is not what I could call a very compliant child. Just because I tell her to do something certainly does not guarantee she will do it. In fact, I use reverse psychology on her often. For example, if I want her to wash her hands and she says no, then I tell her 'Okay, Mommy will wash her hands by herself' and she comes running. And anytime we need to go somewhere and I tell her to get in the car or stroller, I have to say I'm leaving without her before she will get in. So I don't know why she stays in her big girl bed. Maybe because I told her we would turn it back into a crib if she didn't. Maybe she's starting to learn that Mommy don't play... I threw away one of her toys the other day because she refused to pick it up.
Now that her speech is better, we are finding out just how smart our Leyton is. When counting, she says 1, 2, 3 in English, and then switches to Spanish for 4 to 10 (Thanks Dora!). She can sing the ABC song, she is learning bible verses, and she can remember things that happened months ago. She is also very whiny and dramatic, which I'm not sure is due to her age or her personality. She is getting better with her sister, but still not a big fan of sharing.
Ellis still isn't crawling but she is still very close. Still any day now. She loves to stand now leaning against a toy or wall for balance. Still a great eater and sleeper. Still adorable.
 |
| Thank you to Poppy and BB for the 'pretty dresses.' I ask LC what she wants to every day and EVERY day she says 'a pretty dress.' So my little princess dresses the part daily. |
 |
| LC's crazy hair |
 |
| Leyton is also still wearing her Halloween shirt. She and Ellis share pants now because Leyton is so skinny and Ellis... not so much :-) |
 |
| Pictures from Ellis' window licking morning |
 |
| I am pretending that this window was clean before she started licking it. |
 |
| Side note: Blue is definitely her color |
 |
| Howdy! |
I will write more about our sweet Ellis and her 9 month check-up.. as soon as I have the time.. maybe next week when Grammy and Papa come to visit.
